There is more to this important practice than just scrubbing at your teeth with your brush. Consider the following tips to make sure you are getting the best from your oral hygiene:
- Ideally, you should be brushing twice a day: once after you wake up and once shortly before going to sleep. Time your brushings to take two minutes each. Choose a time that is at least thirty minutes after you last ate.
- When you floss, do so before you brush.
- Moisten your bristles and apply a thin layer of paste.
- Bring your brush to your mouth with the bristles held at a forty-five degree angle with the teeth so that you can lightly massage the gums. Brush with a circular motion, taking care not to brush so hard that you break down your fragile gum tissues.
- Divide your mouth into four sections and focus on each on in sequence. This will help you to remember to cover all of your mouth.
- Scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper, or scrub it with your brush.
- Rinse out and follow with an antibacterial mouthwash.
To learn more about maximizing your daily oral hygiene, talk to our Bellingham dentist at Tetrick Family Dentistry.